Box attachment



March 20, 1934. w LYELL, JR 1,951,515

BOX ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 7, 1931 4 gmmtov din/Lyell, Jr.

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES BOX ATTACHMENT John W. Lyell, Jr., Fall River, Mass., assignor to Dauphinee Mfg. 00., Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application February 7, 1931, Serial No. 514,235

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in attachments for packages or boxes containing free running material whereby an opening may be readily formed in the package to permit the contents to be poured therefrom.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an attachment of the above described character which when applied to a box or carton will cut out a section thereof and remove the cut out section from position so that the contents of the package may be readily poured out through the opening formed.

,Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above described character which is designed to be left in place on the carton or box to which it is applied and which has a pivoted member which may be swung into a position where it will close the opening formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above described character embodying means for forming an opening in a carton, box or the like as the device is applied thereto and having a cover for closing the opening which, when in open position, forms a spout for convenience in pouring the contents from the carton or other container.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however,

that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation through the upper portion of a carton showing the device embodying the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the device similar to that shown in Figure 1, but showing the lid raised;

Figure 3 is a view in bottom plan of the device; and

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates a portion of a receptacle formed of any material of a softness which will permit the cutting members of the attachment to be forced therethrough, such for example as pasteboard or the like. The attachment for the receptacle is indicated generally by the numeral 2 and as shown it comprises a plate 3, preferably of elongated substantially rectangular outline, one end of which is bent or folded downwardly from the plane of the plate to form the right angular extension 4.

This plate 3 has an opening 5 formed therethrough, in the forming of which there is pressed out from the plate 3, the three prongs 6, 7 and 8, the prongs 6 and 8 being located at the sides of the opening while the prong '7 is located at the forward end thereof, that is at the end nearest the angular extension 4. The rear edge of the plate is formed to provide a central forwardly projecting hinge sleeve 9.

Adapted to close the opening 5 is a cover plate or lid 10 which is of substantially the same width as the opening so that when in closed position it will fit fairly snugly therein. At one end this plate is formed to provide the spaced hinge sleeves 11 which are arranged with the sleeve 9 therebetween and a pivot pin 11 is then passed through these aligned sleeves, thus securing the lid to the plate. The forward end of the lid 10 is arranged to come to rest upon the top of the plate 3 as shown in Figure 1, when the lid is closed, and formed integral with each side of the lid is a downwardly extending wing 12, the forward and bottom edges of which are arcuately formed as indicated at 13 and are merged smoothly one into the other. This arcuate edge swings across the forward edge of the opening 5 when the lid 10 is raised. The rear edge 14 of each of the wings 12 is obliquely disposed with respect tothe adjacent top edge of the lid and forms an acute angle with the edge 13 so that there is thus provided a sharp penetrating point 15. Intermediate its ends the edge 14 of each wing has formed integrally therewith the inwardly projecting prong 16.

The edges of the plate carried prongs 6, '7 and 8, the arcuate edges 13 of the wings 12 and the lower edges of the prongs 16 are suitably sharpened so that they may be easily forced through the wall of the carton 1. In applying the device to the carton the lid 10 is closed and the points 15 are then forced downwardly through the top thereof. At the same time the points of the prongs 6, 7 and 8 will cut through the top and there will thus be cut therein the three sides of a. rectangle, the fourth side remaining joinedbeneath the hinge connecting the lid with the plate.

This withdrawn portion 17 may then be torn or cut from the top of the box and the lid 10 used thereafter to keep the opening closed; but this is not essential as the cut-away portion 17 may remain attached to the box to be swung open and closed with the lid.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a simple novel device by means of which a desired opening may be readily formed in the top of a pasteboard carton and the opening thus formed thereafter kept covered when the carton is not in use. By providing means on the device for cutting through the wall of the carton or box on three sides an opening is formed without the inconvenience of using a knife or other sharp instrument and, furthermore, the opening is made of proper size and shape to register with the aperture in the device itself without the exercise of care or skill on the part of the person applying the article to use. When the three-sided flap portion of the wall of the box, cut away by the device in applying it to use, is left in place it will be lifted with the lid through the operation of the means projecting thereunder from the wings on the lid and when the lid is closed the cut-away portion fits within the edges of the opening to moretightly seal the same.

As another advantage of the present invention the depending wings of the lid form a chute or spout through which the contents of the box or carton may be poured to direct them into a dish or other receptacle without danger of the powdered or flaked material being scattered. For this purpose the prongs 16 may be arranged at the forward edges 13 of the wings 12 on the lid or cover 10 so that when the latter is raised to a position less than ninety degrees above the top wall of the carton they engage with the cut-away portion or flap 1'1 of the carton to hold it away from the opening. 4

While I have herein shown the present improved device embcdied in a preferred form of construction it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts thereof without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:-

1. A device of the character described'comprising a plate having an aperture therein, means carried by the plate for simultaneously cutting three sides of an aperture of substantial size in a carton wall to leave a flap attached to one side thereof, generally conforming with the aperture in the plate, and a cover hingedly attached to the plate and adapted to overlie the opening therein.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plate having an opening therein, means adjacent three of four sides of the opening for penetrating a wall of" a carton to cut a section therefrom, a lid hingedly carried by the plate for covering the opening therein, and means carried by the lid for removing from position the portion cut out of the wall of the carton.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plate having an aperture therein, a cover hingedly attached to the plate adjacent the aperture and adapted to cover the same, a penetrating prong carried by the plate at one side of the opening therein, wing members carried by opposite sides of the cover and adapted to pass through said opening across the edges adjacent said prong, said prong and said wings coasting to cut through a carton wall, and elements carried by said wings and passing through the carton wall therewith, adapted to withdraw the cut out portion of the carton wall when the cover is moved to open position.

4. A device of the character described comprising a plate having a rectangular opening therein, a cover hingedly attached to one edge'of said opening to be moved to closing position thereover, a pair of wing members formed integral with said cover, one at each of two opposite sides thereof, said wings having their forward and under edges joined to form an arc and having their rear edges joining the under edges thereof to form penetrating points, an inwardly directed spur point formed integral with each wing at its rear edge, and a penetrating spur formed inte ral with the plate and projecting inwardly therefrom, at the opening edge opposite that to which the cover is joined, said wings and said last point being adapted to penetrate the wall of a carton to cut a section therefrom and said spur points acting, upon the lifting of the cover, to remove the cut out portion of the carton wall.

5. A device of the character described comprising a member having an aperture therein,-a cover for closing the aperture, and means on the sides of the cover and one side of the aperture in the member shaped to cut through the wall of the box or other container to which the device is applied to form an opening therein registering with the opening in said apertured member.

6. A device of the character described comprising an apertured member adapted to seat against the wall of a carton, box or other container, a cover hinged to said member to adapt it to close the aperture therein, cutting means on one side of the aperture in the member for penetrating through the carton wall, means on the sides of the cover cooperating with the cutting means on the apertured member to form a flap in said wall corresponding to the aperture in the member,

and means carried by the cover for engaging the flap to lift it from the opening when the cove is raised.

JOHN W. LYELL, JR. 

